What to Expect From the Final Presidential Debate

Jamie LynneOct 18

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Jamie LynneOct 18

Expect fireworks on Wednesday evening as the last of the three presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is set to begin at 9 pm ET – 6 pm PT, on the campus of the University of Las Vegas. Here’s a preview of what to expect from the final presidential debate.

Trump was Mr. Nice at first debate

To some degree, Donald Trump played Mr. Nice at the first debate and later congratulated himself for his restraint. At the second debate, Trump was on the attack and was more aggressive. Some Clinton fans felt that Trump purposefully towered above Mrs. Clinton, but given that Trump is nearly a foot taller than Hillary Clinton, it would be hard for him not to tower over her on an open stage.

Clinton will avoid risk

Trump is behind in most of the polls and therefore may feel that he has little to lose by going all out in the final debate. For better or worse, that may mean a Donald Trump who holds nothing back and will be in an attack mode all evening. For her part, Hillary Clinton’s strategy will probably be to avoid taking any risks during the debate. It is likely that she will shrug off Trump’s attacks with the familiar bemused smile that she used so effectively in the second debate to defuse Mr. Trump’s attacks.

For Clinton, the temptation might be to play it safe on Wednesday and for the final three weeks of the campaign.
— The Washington Post

Trump suggested drug test before debate

The Clinton camp put out some feelers about canceling the third debate after Mr. Trump suggested that both candidates should take a drug test before the debate, but canceling the debate appears an unlikely option for Mrs. Clinton as it could make it seem that she’s running away from Trump.

For Republican Donald Trump, the question is whether the kind of scorched-earth tactics he has employed in the last week—full-bore attacks on his opponent and on the legitimacy of the very system by which presidents are chosen—really translate to his benefit in a debate format.
— The Wall Street Journal

Moderator is Chris Wallace

The moderator for the third and final debate will be Fox News anchor Chris Wallace. The scheduled topics are immigration, the economy, foreign policy, and the candidates’ fitness to be president. Mr. Wallace is experienced in moderating presidential debates, but whether he’ll be able to keep the discussion focused on the scheduled topics is anyone’s guess.

The general trend in presidential debates is for the audience to decline with each debate. In 2016, a record 84 million viewers watched the first debate and the second drew 66.5 million viewers. However, so far, 2016 has proved to be anything but an ordinary election year, and the public may be curious to see how a wounded Donald Trump will respond. The one sure thing to expect from the final debate will be the unexpected.